3 Internet --> Newsletter

For my visual critique of a website, I have chosen the website Edmodo. This past week in class we were introduced to this website that seems to be a web enhancement to a traditional classroom. Edmodo also is a learning management system in the way that it allows the teacher to give quizzes, share articles, and share news with the students in a comfortable environment. Edmodo allows the teacher to connect and collaborate with students, parents, and other teachers as well. 

This website allows for traditional classrooms to easily integrate into more web-based classrooms.

edmodo.com

Based on Chapter 9, I would use the tool NetSmartz. NetSmartz is a tool that can be used by teens, tweens, and even younger children. I would only use this in my middle school classes because it teaches students digital ethics and it helps them find their digital identity. I chose this age because this is when most kids start using most aspects of technology for classes and communication. This website would be ideal for middle schoolers because it can teach them that whatever they share online represents their digital identity and they can't get rid of something once they post it. We need to teach our students the responsibility that comes with technology because no matter how safe and easy it seems the internet can be a very dangerous place/ 

Some of the new skills that I acquired while working on the newsletter mainly including learning how to make a proper newsletter. That might have sounded redundant, but when I began the assignment I literally had no idea what I was doing. Once I started adding text boxes and clip art I began to get the hang of it. I actually had a lot of fun making my newsletter. I think me being so passionate about this class and this assignment made me strive even harder to create the best newsletter I could. That was proven when I got 2nd place out of the entire class! Learning this was crucial to my future career and I am very proud of myself for gaining this knowledge. 

2 Word, Copyright, and the Twitter

Way back when I was elementary school, I took a computer class. I was in the first grade and I was just learning what a computer was. My computer teacher then continued to explain to us what we were learning for the day. We were learning how to use Microsoft Word. For the first time in my life I was learning how to use a program that I would be using almost every day for the rest of my life. Since then I have used Microsoft Word to write a countless amount of essays, journal posts, research papers, and even just taking notes in class. I’ve seen my teachers use Microsoft Word to write syllabi, study guides for students, create outlines for assignments, and even take their own notes during a student given presentation. I plan on using Microsoft Word for some of the same things I have seen other teachers use it for. I also plan on using Microsoft Word to make tests for my students.

During my educational experience I never had to deal with copyright anything. I thought copyright had to do with plagiarism and citing my resources and such. I learned today in class that my previous knowledge was nowhere near correct. When using a certain type of media, you need to give credit to the owner/author of that material when it is due. I learned today in class that when I become a teacher I will face these copyright laws on a daily basis. I will see this when I make PowerPoints or when I show videos in the class and I will need to make sure I don’t break any of these copyright laws. I will need to show my students the importance of copyright and exactly what needs to be done so they do not break these laws. I will mainly be teaching younger students so I will mainly need to show them how to copy and paste the website link into their material, but as they grow older they will need to learn the more in depth rules that these laws entail.

New skills that I learned from the Twitter activity that we had were some fun and inexpensive ways to keep my classroom organized and up to date. I plan on using almost all of these ideas to organize my classroom while keeping it a fun environment. One of these ideas was to put up a QR code at open house with all of my contact information on it so they could easily reach me. There were 37 different ideas on this link and I am excited to use all of them. I can't really use twitter to communicate with my students because they are so young, but I can use it to communicate with other teachers and to communicate with the students parents. I will use Twitter as a tool to better my teaching with the help of other teachers

1 The Importance of Technology

Computers are an important part of the educational experience because they are forming the way our society lives. For example, I am experiencing computer problems which are hindering me from posting this blog in a timely manner. Teachers who have been teaching for 10+ years don't understand the online tools that are readily available. They might recognize that they can use these tools but they don't understand how to use them. I agree that teachers need to be educated on our technological advances so they can utilize them in the classroom and give their students a well rounded experience. Just like how we need to keep our lessons up to date on current events, we need to keep our teachers up to date on current ways to teach students. 

In my classroom, I will use computers to take attendance, grade papers, support my lectures, and enhance my lesson plans. In this class I hope to learn an effective way to use multiple presentation applications so I can use them when I give my lectures. I am also hoping to learn how to use everyday technology in my classroom. This class will get me updated on the most current programs that can be used in the classroom. By having to take tests on these programs in this class I will be able to effectively use them in my own classroom in the future. 

Being a digital native means that you have grown up with technology surrounding you and being in your everyday life. Being a digital immigrant means technology has come into your life and you have to incorporate it into your daily routine. It is a similar concept to learning language, since it is easier to learn a language when your brain is still developing when you use it everyday in comparison to just trying to learn it halfway through your life. It is easier for the younger generations to use technology because it was introduced to them the moment they were born. It is more difficult for digital immigrants to use technology because they haven't had to use it for their entire lives. I anticipate that there will be a small gap between the way I use technology and the way my students use technology because technology is always changing. The gap hopefully won't be as large as the gap between the current generations because I am a digital native.

0 It's All About Me

           My prior experiences with technology have been limited but consistent with the rest of my peers. I use most social media websites and applications which include but are not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Vine, YouTube, and Gmail. I was also an intern this past summer at a church and I learned how to use a lot of different computer devices for organization and scheduling. Also during my Freshman year at Florida State University, I had to create a blog for my English Composition class and that widened my perspective on the use of technology to teach. 

          What I hope to learn in this class is how to properly use the correct form of technology to give my students the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. I also hope to use this information on my resume to further advance my career inside the educational field. I also hope to learn how to incorporate social media and other applications into my teaching style. 

           What I learned about my learning style is I am an active learner. I learn best in group situations where I can bounce ideas off of other people. I also read that classes with long lectures are harder for me (but I figured that out last year on my own). I am also more of a visual person so I tend to grasp more information when presented with a graph or diagram of some sort. For the other two categories I found myself floating in the middle so I tend to be balanced in either of those comparisons.